Singing with one voice

Published: Friday, March 7, 2014 at 05:46 PM.

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The elementary chorus will be directed by Jane Vernon with Shelia Miller serving as accompanist. The middle school students will be directed by Johnnee Rice and Jacob Mewborn will be the accompanist.

Each of the 11 participating schools practiced separately before coming together on Friday for a final tune-up. Frink Middle School Music Teacher Cullen Jarman said he’s glad the middle school students have this opportunity.

“It’s good for them to come together under a director like Ms. Rice, who can blend all of their talents together in a short period of time to create much better music than we are able to create when they are separate from other schools,” he said.

Jarman said the elementary and middle school groups will come together to sing “The Star Spangled Banner” before performing separately.

Two hundred elementary and middle school students will unite their voices for the first-ever performance of the Lenoir County Public Schools All-County Chorus.

The concert is at 2 p.m Saturday at the Kinston-Lenoir County Performing Arts Center. Admission is free.

Banks Elementary School Music Teacher Christy White, one of the concert organizers, said the concert serves a dual purpose for students.

“For the past several years, the music educators in the county have been looking for different ways to showcase the talents of our students,” she said. “When we met for our opening meeting before the school year started, we sat down together and decided that an all-county chorus would be a good way to have students from different schools work together. It also provides an opportunity for them to work under experienced conductors and see what it is like to be part of a high-caliber performing group.”

The elementary chorus will be directed by Jane Vernon with Shelia Miller serving as accompanist. The middle school students will be directed by Johnnee Rice and Jacob Mewborn will be the accompanist.

Each of the 11 participating schools practiced separately before coming together on Friday for a final tune-up. Frink Middle School Music Teacher Cullen Jarman said he’s glad the middle school students have this opportunity.

“It’s good for them to come together under a director like Ms. Rice, who can blend all of their talents together in a short period of time to create much better music than we are able to create when they are separate from other schools,” he said.

Jarman said the elementary and middle school groups will come together to sing “The Star Spangled Banner” before performing separately.

“It gives elementary students an opportunity to see if they stay with music throughout sixth, seventh and eighth grades where they can go with those talents,” he said. “It gives them mentors to look up to. Then middle school students can see their teachers from elementary school and make that connection as well.”

Jarman said the middle school group will sing a piece in Zambian-an African language Latin and a spiritual song along with an American folk song. He said the range of pieces helps students broaden their musical understanding.

“It’s an eye-opening experience in that 95 percent of the music they know is off the radio, their iPods or online,” he said. “So, they don’t get a a chance to broaden their musical database to where they can appreciate music from another culture. Music is something that reaches all nationalities and can bring bring people together in a common cause different from other things.”

Jarman said he encourages community members to come out and see the performance.

“It is a free concert, so parents, relatives, friends and others cane come out and see a wonderful concert,” he said. “They can walk away proud of the students.”

Noah Clark can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Noah.Clark@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @nclark763.